


Devotion

by fizzyshotapop



Category: Lamento -BEYOND THE VOID-
Genre: Angst, Eventual Death, Eventual Smut, M/M, Spoilers, onesided relations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-25 06:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4950487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fizzyshotapop/pseuds/fizzyshotapop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The world isn't as bad as you think..."</p>
<p>A snapped wing, a song, and a broken boy who just wants a place to call home. Firi's past catches up with him through a new interaction with a cat that is just too kind for the world he lives in. </p>
<p>In his numbered days, he reaches out toward a future he can never have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Misfortune is Born

**Author's Note:**

> long story short, i hate myself for loving this ship. there is literally little to nothing with them, they don't interact at all in canon. 
> 
> i fucking love to die.

It was bright out. A black gloved hand moved over the drawn out view, shading his eyes from the harsh light of the Moon. Despite all the foliage blocking the view, the harsh rays still shined brightly through.

 

He didn’t understand.

 

But then again, there were many things in this world he didn’t understand.

 

Firi sighed, moving from his position on the large tree branch. He stretched his arms above his head after he moved off his back and leaned against the base. A small porcelain smile formed on his face. Despite the harshness of the sun, it was nice and warm where he sat. Winter was to come soon, a season he didn’t particularly like, but this year, waited for with anticipation.

 

Yes. This was the year it would all end.

 

This awful disgusting world, filled with nothing but rotten filth, would soon go out in flames. There was no doubt in his mind that Master Leaks would accomplish such a task, none at all. Ever since the day he was taken in by the sorcerer, he had come to see Leaks as nothing short of a God. A God that would wipe clean the horrors of the world. His hands gripped his shoulders, nearly shivering in anticipation.

 

Yes, those hands.

 

The very same entity that touched him, would reform this world.

 

“I can’t wait,” he sighed dreamily, sinking slightly into the tree. He took in a deep breath, savoring the smell of the forest. A small part of him wished he could’ve stayed with his Master in his study, but he’d rather not risk disturbing him. One too many times he had accidentally caused a disturbance, knocking over books and vials with his tail when he wasn’t paying attention. Risking Master Leaks’ wrath was something he’d rather avoid if at all possible.

 

Master Leaks was a bit of a neat freak in some ways. Always making sure things were put back in the exact place, and yet the place wasn’t exactly the most organized room.

 

But that was irrelevant.

 

“Mmm…” Firi growled lightly, maneuvering so his upper body hung off the tree, his knees being the only things keeping him on the branch.

 

“I’m so bored…” he grumbled, watching a few leaves flutter and sink to the ground. If only Master Leaks called on him to do some sort of task, Konoe passed through the forest, anything. He let out a huff through his nose, as if it could cure his boredom.

 

_Crunch. Crunch._

 

Firi’s ears perked at the sound. He heaved himself back onto the branch, listening to the sound.

 

_Crunch. Crunch._

 

Someone was coming.

 

He let out a small hum, looking around to see where the sound was coming from.

 

There.

 

To his left, a cat with bright ginger hair walked by, an empty looking sack in one hand and a tranquil expression resting on his face. Was he out running an errand? His tail swished in curiosity.

 

“Going somewhere?” he called out, a hand on his chin and a small smirk plastered on his face. The ginger hair cat looked around, almost dumbfounded. Firi chuckled, wondering if all cats reacted like this, throwing their gazes around when hearing a sound.

 

“Over here!” he piped, cupping his hands over his mouth.

 

The cat below looked in his general direction, but still failed to spot him.

 

“Up more.”

 

Still not there.

 

“More~.”

 

Almost. Come on, cat, you can do it.

 

“Keep going...”

 

Bingo!

 

Firi clapped his hands sarcastically, laughing at the cat’s shock of seeing someone so high up in a tree. The boy smiled, revealing his fangs. The cat seemed taken slightly aback, probably now noticing that he was not a cat.

 

And so he waited for his reaction. What would show first? Disgust? Hatred? Fear? Would he scream and call him a demon? Or would he run with his ears down and tail between his legs? Ever since he first came to Sisa, a negative reactions such as these were common.

 

Although, he couldn’t ever say that, ever, once in his life, had someone ever looked at him and given a positive reaction.

 

Until…

 

“Ah! Sorry, I couldn’t see you!” he chipped, scratching the back of his head with a smile. “What are you doing up there?”

 

Firi blinked, losing his composure for a split second. Was the light so bright that this cat couldn’t see? He hummed, swinging his legs a bit, elbows resting on his knees.

 

“That’s new…” he muttered quietly to himself.

 

“Hm? Did you say something?”

 

“Nothing, nothing,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “What are you doing out here?” The cat’s ears perked slightly.

 

“Ah, I was just passing through here. Are you lost? I’ve never really seen you before.” He must have past through this area often.

 

“Mm, I guess you could say I’m sightseeing.”

 

“Sightseeing?” the cat parroted with a confused look. He looked around. “Well, there’s not really much to see here. Are you trying to get to Ransen?” Firi stuck out his tongue.

 

“I hate crowds.”

 

“I see…” he hummed. Firi frowned, this was going nowhere. Was he purposely ignoring that he was speaking to a snake? Did he have to hiss and exaggerate every single “s” to make this idiot before him react? “Ransen’s really pretty though, despite the crowds! I’m sure you’d like it too!”

 

He jumped off the branch, feet first. The cat seemed to jump slightly, holding out his arms ready to catch him.

 

_Cute._

 

Firi crossed his arms, feet moving through the air as if he were walking on an invisible staircase. His tail swished in the air as he moved, awaiting a reaction. Confusion flickered in those eyes as they followed him a lower branch on the tree.

 

“...snake…?” he heard the other mutter under his breathe. And there we go. The cat rubbed his eyes, as if he were just an illusion. “You’re...a snake…” he repeated, now realizing that this was no cat he was talking to. The lack of ears and fur were now fully apparent to him.

 

“Wow! You finally figured it out- took you long enough!” he snarked, clapping both of his hands together. The cat continued to blink owlishly, as if seeing a snake in the forest was the most bizarre thing he had ever encountered.

 

Well, judging by the reaction, it probably was…

 

Now that he got a closer look this cat was much different than Konoe. Other than his taller stature, his muscles were much more defined that most, his ginger hair was pretty shaggy yet contrasted greatly against his sky-blue eyes which held an odd tint to it. The unique tint this boy’s eyes had he’d never quite seen before.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry! I’ve never seen anyone like you before. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from? As far as I know, there’s no other snakes in Sisa- or even in Ransen.”

 

“There aren’t,” he replied, resting his cheek on his hand. “Where I’m from though… Well, that’s a secret for now.”

 

The cat’s ears twitched, curiosity piqued.

 

“Is that so… You don’t get lonely being the only one of your kind? Or homesick since you’re so far from your home?”

 

_Home…_

 

Firi let out a huff, his frown darkening.

 

“I said, I don’t wanna talk about it,” a bratty tone evident in his voice. “Haven’t you ever heard of curiosity kills the cat? It’s really rude to pry you know!” He crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks slightly.

 

“A-ah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He held his hands up in a passive stance, as if dealing with a kid about to throw a tantrum. “I didn’t mean to pry!”

 

“But you asked anyways. If you didn’t wanna pry, you wouldn’t have asked… Mm, you’re all the same, contradicting yourselves to try and dig yourself out of situations.”

 

“It’s not really good to generalize...”

 

“It’s not unless it’s true! But at least he isn’t like that…”

 

“ _He_?”

 

“Master Leaks! He’s amazing! Nothing like you cats!” The cat frowned, not too fond of being compared to another cat. Or was it due to being made fun of?

 

Did it really matter?

 

No, not really.

 

“If he’s so great, then why are you here and not with him?” Firi rolled his eyes, not letting whatever this cat said phase him.

 

“I don’t have to answer that!” A roundabout way of saying that Master Leaks shooed him out of his study to focus. It wasn’t because he broke anything, nor because he kept asking him to teach him more spells obviously.

 

Master Leaks just wanted him to get some fresh air, go out and play, make sure he got enough sunlight to keep warm.

 

Yeah…

 

The other cat made a small smile, pulling something out of his bag. He leaned forward slightly, suddenly curious on the contents of, what he thought, were nothing.

 

“Well, not all cats are as bad as you think. Here,” he said tossing something toward him. Firi blink, nearly fumbling with the red object.

 

An apple?

 

“Think of it as an unofficial welcome to Sisa. I’m Tokino, by the way. What’s your name?”

 

He looked down at the apple in his hands. It was pretty shiney, didn’t look like there was anything wrong with it.

 

“I’m Firi.”

 

“Firi…” Tokino said, testing his name on his tongue. “It’s a nice name! I gotta go, but hopefully we’ll see each other again! See you, Firi!” He waved, half jogging into the woods and out of view.

 

He sat there for awhile, staring at the apple in his hands.

 

Tokino…

  
“What an idiot…” he muttered, taking a bite out of the apple.


	2. And the Dream Speaks to Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the more i write the farther i venture from god's mercy.
> 
> also thanks to my friend jamie for being my beta!

“Not all cats are as bad as you think.” Tokino had said to him the last time they had met. The conversation continued to linger in Firi’s mind, nearly disturbing his sleep. As much as he believed this to be wrong, with the exception of Master Leaks, he almost wanted to give the cats a chance again.

 

“Pfft!”

 

Sure he’s young, but he was definitely not stupid!

 

“Not all cats,” he muttered to himself as a joke. Yes, and not all birds can fly.

 

Wait a minute…

 

“Ah! You’re here again!” Tokino’s voice called, breaking his thought process. The cat smiled up at him. Firi was once again perched on the same tree branch, once again kicking his legs as they hung freely. “I wasn’t sure I’d run into you again! I brought another apple for you,” he said, tossing the fruit. Firi caught it, thankfully prepared this time. “How are you?”

 

“I thought about what you said last time. ‘Not all cats’,” he said, making air quotes with his claws. “And it got me thinking,” Tokino’s ears perked at this. “All birds can fly right?” His ears went back down in confusion.

 

“Yes… I’m pretty sure all birds can fly…”

 

“Then watch this!” Firi said with a smirk. Tokino frowned, not knowing what this would prove, but was willing to give the boy a chance.

 

The two waited for a while, listening to the sounds of the forest. Leaves swaying in the wind, the blow of the gentle wind, birds chirping, nothing out of the ordinary. Tokino opened his mouth, about to ask what they were waiting for till Firi held up a finger.

 

How much longer?

 

A small bird came down, wings fluttering as it perched itself on the same branch as Firi. Tokino continued to stare, not understanding what was going on. The bird chirped, head turning curiously at its surroundings without a care in the world.

 

Till….

 

_Crack._

 

Tokino gaped in awe, watching Firi’s tail quickly grasp the bird’s wing. He heard a series of cracks and yet, could not find it in him to make a sound. Firi’s tail was crushing the bones of the innocent bird’s wing.

 

What was the point of this? What was the point of injuring an innocent animal?!

 

“Firi! Stop!” he shouted, unable to take it anymore. Firi huffed, his tail releasing the poor bird. It fell to the ground, landing with a dull thud. Tokino dropped his bag and ran towards it, gently scooping it up.

 

“See? Now it can’t fly!” Firi announced with a small giggle. “If not all cats are bad, then not all birds can fly! But in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Wanna know why?”

 

Tokino didn’t answer, he just looked back up at Firi with a horrified expression. This only edged him on.

 

Yes, that’s the look. Proof that Tokino is just like all the others.

 

_He’s nothing special._

 

“Because all that matter is who wins in the end! Being nice is irrelevant, it’s just a pain. If being mean and nasty is what it takes to win, then why would you even bother to be good?”

 

“Stop…”

 

“Hey Tokino!” He stood up on the branch, hands on his hips. “Stop trying to play nice, it’s really annoying you know!”

 

“That’s enough!” he shouted. Firi blinked, hearing the anger rise in the blue eyed cat’s voice. Those eyes were not the same sky-blue as before. Those eyes were tinged with a bit of red.

 

Anger shone in those eyes.

 

“I don’t get what you’re trying to prove, but this isn’t right! Hurting an innocent creature… this is cruel!”

 

“The world’s cruel though. Isn’t it better to just get used to it now than to wake up and realize that nothing was what you thought it was later?”

 

“That isn’t the point! Yes, the world is cruel! There are horrible people out there, I know that! But that doesn’t excuse this! Hurting others to prove a point doesn’t solve anything! Didn’t anyone teach you kindness?! Didn’t anyone teach you that hurting others is wrong?!”

 

_Kindness…_

_Hurting others…_

 

_Laughter. Panting. A gleaming metal spear. Blood._

_Hunt him. Hunt him down._

_Kill him._

_“Stop…”_

_The useless should die._

**_“SOMEBODY SAVE ME!!!”_ **

 

Gravity suddenly decided to work, pulling his hands down to his sides. His vision went straight ahead. Suddenly he couldn’t hear. Suddenly he couldn’t see. His body swayed slightly in the breeze.

 

“I thought you were better than that!”

 

Since when did the breeze get so strong?

 

“Well?!”

 

His gaze dropped down to meet Tokino.

 

Oh yeah…

 

He was still there. Firi bit his lip, narrowing his eyes into a glare to mirror Tokino’s.

 

“You know nothing about me…” he replied, a sharp edge in his voice. What gave him, a cat, the right to judge him? Tokino was and is, just another cat. Nothing more.

 

“I would if you’d let me…”

 

Firi’s eyes widened. It wasn’t because of the slight growl in Tokino’s voice. It wasn’t because he was angry. It wasn’t because he was surprised.

 

No.

 

He was scared.

 

“I don’t want to play with you anymore.” He dropped the apple in his hand as he disappeared, letting it fall just like the bird.


	3. Chaos is Born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ya boy's gonna start making shit happen

Firi sighed, knocking on the door of Master Leaks’ study.

 

“Master Leaks… I’m back…” he called in a shy voice. He stood there, listening to the light shuffling happening behind the door. After moving in with him, it became a habit to always knock and wait in front of the door. It was better not to just pop in whenever and risk disturbing his master during his work.

 

The door opened, no words exchanged, Master Leaks had no need for trivial exchanges such as this. Firi entered and closed the door behind him, heels clicking against the wooden floor.

 

“We have work to do, follow me,” he spoke with weight, not taking a moment to look back at the boy as he continued on. Firi dutifully followed, doubling his strides to keep up with Leaks’ steps.

 

“Is it about the End of Times?”

 

“Yes, now hurry. I have a song I need to teach you.”

 

His entire body perked up at that. A new song?! His master was going to teach him a new song! Firi refrained from jumping up and down, he needed to keep some dignity. Leaks led him into another room, one filled with nothing but shelves upon shelves of books.

 

“Sit,” Leaks demanded, gesturing to a spot in the center of the room. Firi followed his instructions wordlessly, sitting cross legged while he gathered the necessary materials. Big red eyes followed the cat’s form as he approached, placing a thick book between the two of them.

 

“This song will be essential for when the eclipse is to come. Until then, do not, under any circumstances sing this until I tell you otherwise.” Firi nodded. “This song is extremely dangerous.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

Sharp red eyes locked with his own. Firi felt as if his throat were being constricted by that gaze. His tail laid on the floor behind him, completely stiff from the tension. Leaks cleared his throat, turning his attention back to flipping through page after page of the thick tome.

 

“This song will allow you to amplify my power greatly if performed correctly, but if sung incorrectly,” the snake gulped.

 

“You may die.”

 

He will…

 

Die?

 

His body hesitated for a moment. He felt cold.

 

Everything was cold.

 

Firi held his breathe, eyes searching his master’s for something. Anything that might’ve lead him to thinking that this was a joke. However, those red eyes held no lies, no emotion. The world went black. The snake let out a small breathe, slumping slightly as his eyes closed.

 

They’ve come so far. In hindsight, it would be nothing less than selfish for Firi to refuse. If it was for Master Leaks, he’d willingly give him everything. His power, his mind, his body. Everything.

 

Everything in his life now, since that day, was and will only ever be for Leaks.

 

“I’ll do it.” He reopened his eyes, sitting straight again. His posture more confident. A small smile formed on his face. Firi’s mouth began to mirror Leaks’, possibly smiling even bigger than him. Master Leaks was happy with his decision.

 

“Good,” he said, reaching a hand out towards Firi. The boy blinked, feeling a slightly weight on his head.

 

Master Leaks was praising him…

 

Firi’s eyes widened, pale cheeks reddening slightly as the hand threading through his hair. His body tensed slightly before relaxing into his touch.

 

“M-master Leaks…” he muttered happily, chest wanting to burst.

 

I’m so happy.

 

And as soon as that warmth had caused the butterflies, it was gone. Leaks retracted his hand and went back to the book, Firi straightened his posture. It was time to get back to business. The snake leaned over, eyes scanning over the information as it was told.

  
This wasn’t like any of the other songs Leaks taught him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.


	4. And the Cursed Cats Tremble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im really really fucking gay for this

_Left at the tree that looked like a fork, right at the clearing, keep going straight till the-_

 

“Ah, you’re here again.”

 

Tokino stopped, pausing his thoughts. He looked up, seeing a familiar figure sitting in a tree to his right. There sat FIri, perched upon the same branch as last time, leering down at him. He signed, instantly remembering what happened the last time the two of them met.

 

That boy snapped that poor bird’s wing.

 

After Firi had left, Tokino had tried his best to help heal the bird. It was a horrible sight, the bird’s small bones penetrating through its thin skin. Blood has started to desaturate the colors, of what was once a vibrant yellow, a rustic brown. The bird had cried out in pain, chirping loud, hoping that by some miracle, the merciful cat would be able to relieve it of its pain. However, Tokino was no doctor, he was no shaman, he was no god. The most he could actually do, in the end, was bury the bird after the blood loss became too much for it.

 

A life, snuffed out only to prove a point.

 

A future, destroyed. Gone. Wasted.

 

He gave the boy a small nod, sending the snake a hard look. As young as Firi probably was, he wasn’t about to go easy on him. No, he had to show him that he wasn’t going to tolerate hurting, let alone killing, the innocent.

 

“I’m just passing through here.” Firi just hummed in response, eyes shifting over to his bag.

 

“What’s in there?” he asked, pointing to the full sack.

 

“Deliveries,” Tokino replied in a casual tone.

 

“Let me see!” he quipped in a childish voice, tail swishing upward in a small bit of excitement. Tokino was a bit surprised. This boy basically killed a small animal right in front of him last time, just to prove a morbid point, yet now here he was, nearly bouncing on the tree branch just to see what was in his sack.

 

“Maybe next time... I actually need to get going if I wanna finish pedaling before dusk breaks.” Firi pouted, his tail and almost entire body drooping in disappointment.

 

“Aaaw! But Tokino! I’m bored! Just lemme take a quick peek!”

 

Was this even the same snake?

 

“No Firi, I need to get going or it’ll get dark.”

 

“The moon’s still high, you can afford to spend a little time with me!”  

 

“No Firi…”

 

“Tokinooooo!”

 

He sighed. At this rate the deliveries were never going to get done. Honestly, how old even was this boy? Firi had to be at least younger than him and Konoe by a few years, but this was really getting ridiculous. It was like dealing with those three little kids that always caused trouble in Ransen.

 

Well, might as well just put up with it for now. Once Firi was satisfied, he could get back to work.

 

“Alright, I’ll play with you… But I can’t stay for too long, I need to deliver these things today.”

 

“Yaaay!” he cheered, hopping off the branch. Tokino watched, prepping himself in the event he had to catch the boy. That wasn’t the case though. The cat just stood there, utterly befounded, watching Firi’s body twist midair like he was swimming. His tail twisted and swayed as he moved closer, he couldn’t deny the action on its own was extremely graceful. He took a step, the small snake’s face now only a few inches away.

 

“So what did you have in mind?” he asked, moving slightly so he had some personal space.

 

“Hide and seek!” Firi replied excitedly, tail, assembly, swaying happily behind him. He pointed a clawed finger toward one of the trees a few yards back. “We’ll only go as far as that tree though.”

 

Well this wouldn’t be too bad. He’d played Hide and Seek with some of the kids in Ransen before, both now and when he was younger.

 

“I’ll hide and you seek!” he announced, landing on his feet and rushing into the shrubbery. “No peeking!” Tokino let out a small chuckle, turning around and covering his eyes.

 

He started to count, listening to the shuffling of the leaves as the boy ran around. Firi was a lot different today… It was almost unreal how different he was from the last time he saw him. This snake, no, this boy, seemed to just be like any of the other kids he’s seen. Although, Tokino had little to no idea how old Firi actually was, but that wasn’t the issue here.

 

“20! Are you ready?” he called.

 

“Ready!” a high pitched voice echoed. Tokino removed his hands from his face, surveying the area. Firi was nowhere to be seen.

 

 _“Let’s see… I saw him run this way…”_ he thought to himself, walking over towards the bushes. No sign of the snake. He continued, keeping a watchful eye as he continued to shift through the bushes and peer into the trees.

 

 _“I didn’t think it’d be this hard to find him, his skin’s practically white…”_ He hummed, still seeing no trace of the boy. Firi was really good at hiding.

 

Another bush. No Firi.

 

He climbed up a few trees. Still no scaley child.

 

“Where did he go?” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Tokino’s tail swished behind him like waves, wondering where he hadn’t looked yet.

 

“Hehe!”

 

His ears perked.

 

That giggle just now…

 

Tokino crouched slightly, lightly stepping toward a bush closer to the cut off point.

 

_Careful…_

 

He stalked closer, being cautious as to avoid brushing against the bushes. The ginger cat tiptoed over twigs and dried leaves, tail gone completely stiff. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, he was almost there.

 

He could faintly make out the outline of a tail next to the bush.  

 

A cat makes sure to capture his prey, no mistakes.

 

_Closer._

 

One more step.

 

“Gotcha!” he roared, aiming to pounce the boy behind the shrub. Firi only smirked, twisting out of the way and taking off.

 

“You gotta catch me first!” he shouted, sticking out his tongue childishly as he ran toward the clearing. Tokino gave chase not too far behind, laughing slightly. Not to brag, but he was pretty fast from having to make rush deliveries throughout town.

 

“Come here you!” Tokino reached out, narrowly missing grabbing Firi’s arm. He continued to laugh, twisting and jumping away at his attempts, even leaping over Tokino a few times to avoid getting caught. “Aah, hold still!” he cried.

 

“Aha! Are all cats this slow? You need to try harder if you wanna- Uwah!” he screeched, feeling a hard squeeze on his tail. Tokino had caught him while he was showing off.

 

Although he wasn’t entirely sure if this was actually a good area to grab….

 

Tokino let go, causing Firi to bring his tail to his chest,. He hugged it tightly, sending the ginger cat a pout and a glare. He was taken aback.

 

“Ah, I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you?” he asked, walking over cautiously.

 

“Waah! Tokino that really hurt! My tail’s really sensitive, you know!” he whined. “Aah! Tokino, you know grabbing my tail is a really intimate thing? You can’t just grab someone’s tail like that! I can’t believe you bad touched me! Waaah! I’ll never get married!”

 

_Wait what?!_

 

“W-wah!” he nearly screamed. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!!! I didn’t mean to touch you that way! Firi, I’m so, so sorry!” he held up his wary hands in defense. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to touch you inappropriately! I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry!”

 

He was seriously panicking. That was, without a doubt- not his intention.

 

Until he heard a laugh that cut his thoughts off.

 

“Huh…?” What’s so funny?

 

“I’m just kidding you know! Tails aren’t that big a thing with me!” he said nonchalantly, letting go of his tail and waving it off. “Actually, it’s a tradition to cut off your tail once you get to a certain age. It’s one of those weird coming of age ceremonies…”

 

Wait a damn second…

 

“They grow back though which is kinda weird- Wah!” he cried, suddenly getting tackled to the ground by Tokino. “Wh-what was that for!”

 

“Don’t lie about stuff like that!! I thought my heart was going to come up my throat!!” he scolded, practically wrestling the snake.

 

“It’s your fault for actually believing it! I’m not a stupid cat, my tail isn’t that sensitive! Ow!” Firi winced, now getting aggressively pulled into a headlock. “Let go of me!” He squirmed, yanking on Tokino’s arms in attempt to free himself as he scraped the thin heels of his boots against the dirt.

 

“This is just payback for scaring me like that!” he said with a slight smirk, bringing his knuckles to aggressively ruffle Firi’s hair. “I’m not letting you go ‘till you apologize!” The smaller boy only hissed, still attempting to escape Tokino’s iron grip. “Haha! Come on, you can try harder than that!”

 

“It’s not my fault you’re such a muscle head! Let go of me!” Tokino continued to laugh at his frustration, seeing Firi pound his smaller fists against his arm and occasionally his leg.

 

“Oof-!” he choked, feeling something thick and blunt slam into his back. He threw himself onto all fours in response, Firi slip out of his hold as soon as his grip loosened. Tokino groaned, putting a hand over where he was hit, feeling the area throb lightly from the sudden impact.

 

“That’s what you get you stupid muscle head!” Firi jeered, giggling as he leaped back onto the tree branch. Tokino looked up at him from his spot on the ground, still rubbing his back.

 

That really hurt…

 

“You really didn’t need to hit me that hard though…” he whined, slowly getting back on his feet. “Anyways, it’s your turn to count.”

 

“No it isn’t.”

 

“...Ha?”

 

“You tagged me when you grabbed and tackled me, and I tagged you back when I hit you with my tail.”

 

_“Wow his tail is that strong…”_

 

Wait…

 

“I don’t think that’s how it works…” Firi only pouted and puffed his cheeks in response, sending him a light glare. Tokino only made an uncomfortable smile, hoping he wouldn’t throw another tantrum.

 

…

 

_“He’s still staring at me…”_

 

…

 

…

 

“Alright fine,” he sighed exasperated. Firi’s face changed immediately, a smile that seemed to almost, but not quite, reach his cheeks adorned his face, his big red eyes shined with an innocence that he hadn’t seen before.

 

He was actually…somewhat cute, now that he thought about it.

 

* * *

 

 

Tokino played with him for a few good hours, not realizing how long they had been playing until he noticed the red tint on Firi’s pale skin. He looked up, the Moon of Light was beginning to set, the sky dyed in the warm hues of twilight.

 

“Ah! Oh shoot, I really need to get going!” he gasped, quickly rushing over to his heavy sack and hoisting it over his shoulder.

 

“Already…?” Tokino turned around, looking at the snake peeking out from behind a tree. His hands were down at his sides, shoulders slouched, and eyes down ridden. Firi walked out of the brush and looked down at the floor. “I was just starting to have fun…” he muttered.

 

The ginger haired cat frowned, quickly pulling something out of his sack and walking back over to Firi.

 

“Hey,” he said, putting a hand on Firi’s head and crouching down slightly. “I’ll be here tomorrow, don’t worry.” Tokino gave him a warm smile and ruffled his hair lightly. “No need to be sad.”

 

Firi pouted, stomping his foot lightly.

 

“‘m not sad… I’m just bored is all…” The cat only chuckled lightly in response, riling the boy up a bit. “Geez! Don’t you have work to do?” he murmured, pushing his hand away.

 

Tokino held his wrist and turned it, placing an apple in his open hand.

 

“Here, think of this as part of the promise. I’ll come here everyday when I can.”

 

_“You aren’t as bad as you try to make yourself out to be…”_

 

“What do you say?”

 

_“I think he just needs someone there for him…”_

 

“...mm, you better keep your word.”

 

_“A friend.”_

 

He smiled.

 

“Of course.”


End file.
